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Nancy (Municipality, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France)

Flag of Nancy - Images by Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026

Presentation of Nancy
Coat of arms of Nancy
Municipal flag of Nancy

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Presentation of Nancy

Nancy is the prefecture of the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, located in the Grand Est region, in the historical region of Lorraine, on the left bank of the river Meurthe. The metropolitan area of Nancy has a population of 508,793 inhabitants (2021), making it the 16th-largest urban area in France and the largest in Lorraine. Nancy proper has 104,387 inhabitants on 1,501 ha.

(After Wikipedia)
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the region dates back to 800 BC. The first inhabitants were likely drawn by the area's easily accessible iron ore and a ford across the Meurthe River. The name Nanciaco first appears in historical records, possibly derived from a Gaulish personal name. Around 1050, Gérard, Duke of Lorraine, constructed a small fortified town called Nanciacum, which later became known as Nancy.
In 1218, Nancy was burned during the War of Succession of Champagne and subsequently conquered by Emperor Frederick II. Over the following centuries, it was rebuilt in stone, growing in prominence as the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine. In 1477, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was defeated and killed in the Battle of Nancy, leading to René II, Duke of Lorraine, assuming power. After Emperor Joseph I and Emperor Charles VI both failed to produce a male heir, the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 designated the throne to Charles VI's next child. This turned out to be his daughter, Maria Theresa of Austria. In 1736, Emperor Charles arranged her marriage to Duke François of Lorraine, who reluctantly agreed to exchange his hereditary lands for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
The exiled Polish king Stanislaus (Stanisław Leszczyński), father-in-law of French King Louis XV, was then granted the vacant Duchy of Lorraine. Under his nominal rule, Nancy flourished, experiencing significant growth and a blossoming of Baroque culture and architecture. Stanislaus oversaw the construction of "Place Stanislas", a grand square that connected the old medieval quarter with the newer parts of the city. On the south side of the square stands the Hôtel de Ville, completed in 1755 (see below). Following Stanislaus' death in February 1766, Lorraine and Barrois became a regular province of the Kingdom of France. A parlement for Lorraine and Barrois was established in Nancy in 1776. During the French Revolution, unrest within the French Armed Forces led to a full-scale mutiny in Nancy in late summer 1790, known as the Nancy Affair. Loyal government units besieged the town, shooting or imprisoning the mutineers.
In 1871, Nancy remained part of France while Germany annexed Alsace-Lorraine. During World War II, Nancy was occupied by German forces starting in 1940. It was liberated in September 1944 by the US Third Army during the Lorraine Campaign, specifically at the Battle of Nancy.

Nancy, designated a "City of Art and History," boasts a vast 150-hectare protected area that encompasses the city's historic center. It is world-renowned for its 18th-century architectural ensemble—comprising Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière, and Place d’Alliance—which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Place Stanislas: Until the mid-18th century, a large esplanade separated Nancy’s Old Town (Ville-Vieille) from its New Town (Ville-Neuve). Stanislas Leszczynski, the former King of Poland who became Duke of Lorraine in 1737, planned to build a square there to honor and glorify his son-in-law, King Louis XV of France. Under the direction of architect Emmanuel Héré, the foundation stone for the first pavilion was laid in March 1752, and the famous *Place Royale* was inaugurated in November 1755. Following the Revolution, the original statue depicting Louis XV in classical attire disappeared; it was not until 1831 that a new statue of Stanislas was erected, giving the square its current name. As the first of all French royal squares, it enshrined the royal image while simultaneously serving as a venue for popular festivities. In 2005, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski inaugurated the renovated Place Stanislas, which had been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The "École de Nancy" Art Nouveau movement emerged during the German annexation of Alsace and Moselle in 1871. As a French border city, Nancy welcomed a significant influx of people from Alsace and Moselle fleeing the German annexation, spurring economic and intellectual growth as well as the construction of new neighborhoods. Nancy thus became the capital of eastern France. It was against this unique backdrop - and with the involvement of artists, industrialists, and entrepreneurs - that the School of Nancy emerged, driven notably by the iconic figure of Émile Gallé. Glassmaking, furniture, stained glass, ceramics, leatherwork, ironwork, and architecture, among other disciplines, contributed to this vast movement to revitalize the decorative arts - a legacy that still defines the city of Nancy today.

Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026

Coat of arms of Nancy

Nancy adopted a thistle in its arms probably after the defeat of the Duke of Burgundy in 1477. The thistle has been the symbol of the city since the 15th/16th century, but the meaning, however, is not known The chief shows the arms of Lorraine as used in 1575, when the chief was added by Charles III, Duke of Lorraine. The arms show the red bars of Hungary, the shield with fleur-de-lis and a label for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the golden cross for Jerusalem, the red pals of Aragón, the fleur-de-lis and red bordure of Anjou; the golden lion of Gelre, the black lion of Jülich, the two fish for the Duchy of Bar and overall the historical arms of Lorraine.

Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026

Municipal flag of Nancy

A white flag with the greater arms was observed as the flaf of Nancy during a twinning event in Vinnytsia in Ukraine in 2025: photo (source: France3).

Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026